1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a digital device, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for managing applications stored in a digital device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lately, portable digital devices have been providing increasingly-varied types of services and additional functions. In order to increase an effective value of digital devices and satisfy users' various demands, various types of applications (i.e., application software programs) executable in a digital device are being developed.
Accordingly, many applications can be stored in digital devices, such as smart phones and tablet Personal Computers (PCs). Also, shortcut icons for executing the respective applications are displayed on a touch screen of the digital device. Accordingly, a user can execute a desired application on the digital device by touching one of the shortcut icons displayed on the touch screen. Other than the shortcut icons, various types of visual objects, for example, widgets, pictures, and documents may be displayed on a touch screen of a digital device.
With expansion of additional functions for digital devices and development of various applications, digital devices provide various services by connecting to external devices. For example, if a digital device is connected to an external speaker, the digital device can output audio through the external speaker. In order for the digital device to output audio through the external speaker, the digital device executes an audio application, plays an audio file, and transfers audio signals generated by playing the audio file to the external speaker. A device that connects to a digital device and provides a service under the control of the digital device, such as an external speaker, for example, is called an accessory device.
A plurality of applications stored in a digital device may be classified into accessory applications capable of providing services through accessory devices connected to the digital device, and non-accessory applications incapable of providing services through accessory devices.
However, there is no method of enabling a user to determine, before executing an application, whether the application is an accessory application or a non-accessory application.
Accessory applications are also classified according to types of accessories associated with the application. However, even when using an accessory application, a user cannot precisely recognize what types of accessories the application is associated with before executing the application. Accordingly, after connecting a certain accessory device to a digital device, a user is still required to check all applications stored in the digital device, in order to find an application associated with the connected accessory device.